Le Totentanz de Alice
by Azulixa
Summary: Christine wasn't the only childhood friend of Raoul's to drop off his radar. Alice has taken great care to clean up both her mind and the orphanage after Bumby's death, and progress has been slow. After a few months, she decides to visit Raoul in the City of Lights to meet a man he knows to help, but certainly wasn't expecting to be dragged off to go to the opera...ON HIATUS.
1. You See There's No Real Ending

**A/N: Hey everybody! I present to you, the first story I've done in awhile that wasn't a songfic. The story is a crossover between American McGee's Alice: Madness Returns and POTO. It had struck me (when I replayed Madness Returns a few weeks ago) how Alice's delusions of Wonderland and Christine's dreams of an Angel of Music were similar-both were encountered after the death of family. It then struck me how similar Alice and Erik were, and thus the idea for this fic was born. This fic is also heavily based on the 25th anniversary musical (with Hadley as Raoul and Erik's deformity more exaggerated). Anyway, I hope you enjoy my new project!**

_"Wake up, Alice dear!" said Lizzie; "Why, what a long sleep you've had!"_

_"Oh, I've had such a curious dream!" said Alice, and she told her sister, as well as she could remember them, all these strange adventures of hers, and when she had finished, Lizzie kissed her, and said, "It WAS a curious dream, dear, certainly: but now run in for tea; it's getting late." So Alice got up and ran off, thinking while she ran, as well she might, what a wonderful dream it had been. _

_Alice screeched to a halt at the closed parlor door, straightened out her hair and dress in the adjacent hall mirror, took a deep breath, and knocked at the door. "Come in," she heard her mother's voice call. She opened the door, eager to tell her mother and father all about her strange adventures, but froze at the sight of four strangers with her parents-a man, a woman, a younger man around Lizzie's age, and a little boy maybe a year older or so than Alice. "Alice, come here, please," her father requested, and Alice complied quietly. The strange man smiled at her. "Your younger daughter?" Alice smiled up at him. He had a funny accent-it sounded French to her ears. "Alice, where is Lizzie?" her mother asked. Right on cue, Lizzie entered the room, and Alice thought for a second that the young man would faint. She studied him, finding him to her liking, much more than her father's strange undergraduate. Introductions were made and Alice found out the young man was named Phillipe and the little boy around her age was named Raoul. _

_Little Raoul found his way over to where Alice was petting Dinah and sat down on the floor with her. "What's her name?" he asked, reaching out and stroking the cat's head. "Dinah." Raoul smiled. It was a nice smile, one that showed off all of his teeth. "Do you have any pets of your own?" He shook his head. "No. Mother doesn't like them. I would really like a cat, though." "Would you like one that could talk?" Raoul frowned. "It would depend on what the cat would say...why do you ask?" "I met one today." Alice replied smugly. "Really?" Raoul asked her, wide-eyed. "Yes." "...that's not true! Talking cats don't exist!" "Maybe not here," she said simply. "But in Wonderland they do." "Wonderland?" Alice sighed. "Make yourself comfortable, Raoul," she said. "It's a long story. I was beginning to get very tired of sitting by Lizzie on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice I had peeped into the book my sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, and what good is a book, without pictures or conversation? So there I was, considering my own mind..."_

**A DECADE LATER...**

After the 'suicide' of Bumby, Alice had taken complete charge of the orphanage. Bumby's money disappeared under 'mysterious circumstances,' and Alice had taken great care to clean up herself, the half-brainwashed children, and, of course, her Wonderland. Now the children, under her care, were modeled to live in the present-to have their past to know who they were, but to keep looking forward into the future, as she did. Of course, people still thought her a lunatic, but as always, Alice couldn't really care less.

It had been 6 months since Alice had taken charge, and was working night and day to try to restore the children's memories, to know who they were and where they were from. Nan Sharpe, who would stop by and help Alice with the children on occasion, had insisted that she go off and take a vacation, as she was still young and active. It had taken a fair deal of persuasion, but finally Alice had consented and written a letter to an old friend who lived in the city and asked if they should meet. The main reason she wrote him, however, was to ask about his contacts with some insightful men.

"Alice!"

She turned and spotted Raoul himself jump excitedly out of his carriage. He had obviously changed over the past years, turning much more handsome and manly. "Alice!" He exclaimed again, taking her hands eagerly. "How are you? How is London? How are your mother and father and Lizzie-" Alice jerked her head away. "They never told you?" Raoul looked at her, confused, and laughed nervously. "All I was told was we couldn't go to England anymore..." "My family is gone." Raoul's hands fell from hers. "What?" he whispered. "My family is gone, Raoul. A...stalker of Lizzie's burned my house down." Raoul sensed that she didn't want to talk about it then, so he quickly changed the subject, asking her what she was doing in London, to which she answered she ran an orphanage. They talked on for some time, mostly about the doctors Raoul had set up to meet with her, and then somehow Alice ended up in the carriage, driving to the Opera Garnier.

They pulled up at the magnificent building a few minutes later, and Alice could barely contain her gasp. The building looked like something out of a fairy tale, a palace for kings and queens. Maybe she could build a replica in Wonderland. Raoul took off his gloves and helped her out of the carriage as two men came up to them. One being tall with slicked back black hair and a black, (rather impressive) mustache, the other being short with gray hair and a small mustache, looking much more cheery. They welcomed Raoul hastily, then the gray-haired one noticed Alice walking a bit behind Raoul quietly and smiled brightly. He didn't seem too bad. "And who is this?" Raoul took her hand and lead her forward. "This is my dear friend Mademoiselle Alice Lidell." Alice nodded and said lightly, "It is a pleasure to meet you..." It then struck her that she didn't even know their names. She didn't need to, as the two men were met by another man who smiled at her and Raoul and took the two men off to where Alice heard a chorus singing and a magnificent orchestra backing it up.

She and Raoul walked slower and were greeted soon by some escorts in old fashioned wigs and tailcoats. They were walked over to the stage, just as they heard the black-haired one (Firmin, from what she'd heard) announce, "And we are deeply honored to introduce our new patron: the Vicomte de Chagny." Raoul took Alice's hand confidently, and just like that, they were on the stage.

**CHRISTINE POV **

"The Vicomte de Chagny!" The new manager's voice announced. _Is it...? _Christine went up the stairs with Meg and the others, and for a moment her breath caught in her throat. Memories of the red scarf (goodness, where had she put it?), of the sea, of violins and stories told by lamplight. Then she caught sight of the thin, pale hand Raoul was holding and was jolted back to reality.

The young woman who the hand belonged to was...a curiosity. She was extremely pale, with surprisingly bright green eyes and hair that seemed to change color from midnight black to an extremely dark brown. She looked almost as if she was a ghost. She wore a humble sky blue day dress, but held up her head as if she was a queen. "It's Raoul," Christine murmured. Meg turned as Christine felt herself rambling about their childhood, hoping those words of memory would make the black-haired woman seem less imposing to her feelings for Raoul. It didn't work. "My parents and I are proud to support all the arts," Raoul announced, "especially the world-renowned Opera Populaire." More applause was given, and then Raoul gestured to his green-eyed companion. "I'd like you all to meet my dear friend Alice Liddell." She smiled, cold but unsure. "It is my pleasure to meet you all," she said strongly with a royal-sounding accent. Out of nowhere, all the young male stagehands started whispering something about this Alice Liddell being 'a godawful Brit!'. Apparently she heard them, because as Carlotta went up to her and Raoul she swung her head to stare at them and they all fell silent.

"Mademoiselle Liddell, Vicomte, gentlemen, Signora Carlotta Giudicelli, our leading soprano for five seasons now." Carlotta held out her hand to be kissed, to which Raoul did, and then Alice Liddell offered her hand to Carlotta to shake. They shook hands as if business partners, and just as Alice's touch left, a sudden change appeared in the Prima Donna that everyone noticed. She flinched as if electrocuted, took a few steps back, and for a moment there was a look of pure terror on her face. Then as quickly as it had happened, it was gone. Piangi was introduced, and Alice seemed to take a liking to him, as after they shook hands, Alice gave him a surprisingly warm half-smile and no terror-struck look was upon Piangi's face. "An honor, signor," Raoul says, taking up Alice's hand again, and Christine winced. "I believe we may be keeping you from your rehearsal. We will both be here this evening to share your great triumph." His raven-haired companion seemed surprised at the prospect, but quickly changed her expression back to normal. "My apologies, monsieur," he said to Reyer, and Alice echoed it. Christine's eyes never left them, she didn't think they were able to. Did he even remember Little Lotte at all? Or was his mind now full of a frightening 'Brit' woman?

Her eyes lit up, however, when she saw Raoul and Alice walking out towards where she and the other ballerinas were. Raoul walked quickly, but Alice was about three steps behind, attempting to take in all the golden statues and red velvet. Raoul's shadow passed over her without noticing and Christine and Meg lowered their eyes. However, Christine felt a different pair of eyes on her and she looked up quickly. Alice Liddell slowed down and looked at her straight in the eyes, as if sensing something about her, as if her eyes were staring directly into her soul, exposing and exploring every secret she ever had-including her Angel. Christine blinked in surprise, and when she opened her eyes again, she saw Alice caught up with Raoul, and just like before, holding his hand.

**ALICE POV, THAT NIGHT **

Alice found herself enjoying the opera a lot. Much better than that bizarre one in the Dreary Lane Theater. Raoul seemed quite happy as well. They sat in their own private box closest to the stage with two glasses and a bottle of some of the world's finest champagne. She did, however, feel a bit out of place in all this finery. Not that she was self-conscious of her plain, simple brown evening dress, but the gold and red velvet everywhere and crystal chandelier almost appeared to dwarf her. Even the costumes of the actors made her feel alienated. France was a most peculiar place, one which she wanted to explore.

Then the dark-haired ballerina that Alice had exchanged a glance with earlier stepped up, dressed in a poofy, uncomfortable-looking white ballgown. She began to sing, at first a bit unsurely, and then regained her confidence and sang almost like those mythical sirens in the stories Alice's mother would read to her. She had to admit, the ballerina was very good. However, she began to worry when Raoul leaned forward in the box with a perplexed look of happiness on his face. "Can it be? Can it be Christine?" he questioned to no one. To Alice, it sounded almost like he was singing. "Bravo!" he shouted, startling Alice slightly. "Long ago, it seems so long ago, how young and innocent we were...she may not remember me, but, I remember her..." Alice raised an eyebrow at this, but decided to ignore it. She couldn't have been the only childhood friend of Raoul's to vanish for him.

The ballerina-'Christine'-finished off with her song with some of the most extraordinary singing Alice had ever heard. And just like everyone else did, she stood up and clapped for her wildly. Before they could even sit down again, Raoul grabbed her hand and yanked her out of the box excitedly, grabbing a rose that had been next to their champagne bottle while rambling about how he had rescued Christine's red scarf from the sea. Alice frowned. _Odd. _"Where are you taking me?" she asked, amused by the giddy look upon his face. "To see Christine!" he cried, practically skipping down the hallways. "I want you to meet her!" "Why?" "You'll like her, Alice," Raoul replied, looking over his shoulder and giving a huge smile in her direction. "There's nothing to be nervous about!" "I'm not-" Suddenly, her protests were drowned out in a crowd of stagehands and patrons and audience members trying to find Christine. Raoul lost his grip on her and Alice found herself spinning, alone in the crowd. Her cries for him went unheard amongst the din, but suddenly Alice's wrist was grabbed from behind and she found herself tugged to a less crowded area. The young man-a stagehand-that had taken her there released her, and Alice found herself face-to-face with stagehands of several ages, all looking at her with interest. The looks weren't particularly _prying _or _dirty-_Alice found their gaze to be like that of curious children coming across a rabbit hole.

"Why have you brought me here?" Alice demanded. At her words, one of the younger stagehands clapped his hands once and pointed at an older one. "HA! I told you she was a legitimate Brit!" Alice raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" "Well, you are, aren't you? You're English." "Yes..." The younger one held out his hand expectantly to the older one, who sighed and put a few francs in his hand. "Hey, uh, how did you do that thing?" "Do what?" "The thing with Carlotta. How'd you scare her?" "I don't know. All I did was look at her." The stagehand who had taken her away laughed. "Madamoiselle..." "Liddell," Alice supplied. "Madamoiselle Liddell. You have somehow accomplished a feat that only one other has completed before." "And who is this person you speak of?" The stagehands all exchanged wry, childish smiles. "Why, the opera ghost!" Alice was interested now. "Opera ghost?" They all nodded devilishly. "The only other person able to scare the devil out of that toadish bitch besides you." "ALICE!" she heard Raoul yell from somewhere in the throng-quite nearby, actually. She gave the stagehands a hasty goodbye and weaved her way through the crowd until she found Raoul, near the prima donna's dressing room with the managers not too far behind. "Ah, there you are," he said to Alice with a smile as she grabbed his hand again.

"Vicomte!" They each called. "I'd say we've made quite the discovery with Miss Daae," Firmin said. "Perhaps we could present her to you?" Andre cut in nervously. "Gentlemen, if you wouldn't mind, this is one visit we'd prefer to make unaccompanied." Raoul and Alice both nodded respectfully before opening the door and entering the surprisingly quiet dressing room. It was much too _pink _for Alice's taste, but she supposed that the room did look nice. It looked like it belonged in the Dollhouse. And upon the stool facing the vanity, taking the silvery star clips out of her curly hair, was Christine Daae. "Miss Daae," Alice found herself saying as she closed the door, "Where is your red scarf?" The girl frowned at her in the mirror. "Ma'moiselle?" "Well you can't have lost it," Raoul played along, walking forward towards the floor-to-ceiling mirror. "After ALL the trouble I went. I was just 11 and soaked to the skin-" Christine whirled around to face them. "Because you had run into the sea to fetch my scarf! Oh Raoul-" He laughed-seemingly nervously, Alice thought with amusement-and handed the rose to her. They began to speak of a girl named Little Lotte from some fairytale, and Alice amused herself by looking into the mirror and making faces, imagining that perhaps Wonderland was behind the mirror.

"...Father said, when I'm in heaven, child, I will send you the angel of music. Well, Father is dead, Raoul. And I HAVE been visited by the angel of music." Alice's interest was piqued. In her searches for people who could have a clue on how to save the children, she learned she wasn't the only one out there who lived ruler to a land that no one else could see, or the only one prone to wild hallucinations of the twisted around and upside-down. "An angel of music, you say?" Alice interrupted, turning around and looking at Christine with interest. Christine nodded, albeit confused at Alice's sudden breaking of her silence. "And when exactly did you start seeing this angel?" "The day after Madame Giry brought me here to live...a week after my father died." Yes, Alice had discovered her first similar case. The hallucinations of this angel must have been due to 'severe and pervasive trauma' due to her father's death.

Suddenly Christine gasped. "Alice...did you ever tell Raoul about a place called...Wonderland?" Raoul laughed. "Yes, Christine, this is the Alice whose adventures in Wonderland we both tried to have ourselves." "Did you ever find Wonderland again?" Alice snorted. "Thrice. The second time, I stumbled across that world of insanity through a looking-glass." "You must tell me the story of that time, Alice. And now. We go to supper," Raoul said, heading towards the door. "No Raoul, the Angel of Music is very strict!" Christine exclaimed. "I shan't keep you up late." "No Raoul!" Christine begged. "Raoul, please-" Alice sided with Christine (remembering what had happened the last time she had tried to ignore Wonderland). "Leave her to her angel." Raoul rolled his eyes. "I need to get my hat, and Alice, you need your jacket. Two minutes, little Lotte." He nearly dragged Alice out the door as she mouthed to Christine-_I tried. _"Things have changed, Raoul!" Alice could have sworn she heard Christine shriek from inside, but she couldn't be sure.

_Yes, Raoul. Things have certainly changed, and not all of them are for good._

**CHRISTINE POV **

I shoved the framed portrait of my father in the drawer quickly, and couldn't even stand up before the voice of my Angel roared- "Insolent boy, this brave young suitor! Basking in your glory! Insolent fool, this slave of fashion! Sharing in my triumph!" I did my best to calm him down and apparently succeeded, as he sang to me-

_Flattering child, you shall know me  
See why in shadow I hide  
Look at your face in the mirror  
I am there, inside! _

Through the haze, I could barely hear my own voice, singing something about the Angel revealing himself. My mirror slid aside, as if by magic, and in the back of my mind, a woman's voice with a British accent said darkly:

_...I stumbled across that world of insanity, through a looking-glass... _

**A/N: There! How was that? It may take me about a week or so to update this, so please be patient. Anyway, thank you for reading and please review!**


	2. It's Only The Beginning

**A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the late update. It took me a fair deal of consideration, but I found out that this story will be a bit longer than intended. Anyway, thank you grapejuice101, InfinitelyBoredForTheMoment, and Eskimo-Otter for your follows, faves, and reviews. They mean a lot to me. Alice belongs to American McGee and everyone else but Alphonse belong to Leroux, Kay, and Webber. Enjoy!**

Alice waited for Raoul in the carriage outside, glancing back at the opera house every few seconds. She wondered if Christine was passed out or simply wandering around the opera house like a madwoman rambling to her angel of music. Alice blinked as suddenly the voices of the two policemen who had freed her from gaol the last time she was in rang as clear as a bell in her head-

_"Howlin' outside the Old Lady, mutterin' about a murder in Threadneedle street, cursin' insects and the national railroad. Had to bring her in, didn't I?"  
__"Menace to herself, ah, but no danger to the public, surely. She don't belong in gaol."  
"Too true, but, where then does she belong?" _

Christine spoke of an Angel of Music, one that she seemed to be the only one to be able to see. It sounded almost like an exact reciprocation of Alice's own description of the White Rabbit-something wondrous and oddly amazing but limited only to her vision. But if Christine had also been speaking to other people before Raoul and Alice about her Angel or wandering around the opera seemingly talking to herself or being overheard talking to herself, why hadn't she also been locked away? Why hadn't someone given that an ounce of thought and attempted to give her therapy? Why did it only happen to Alice, even though she spoke to the doctors, even if it was gibberish? Why was Christine given a blind eye to her slight madness?

Raoul suddenly banged into the carriage, breathing hard. "What happened?" "She's gone!" he nearly shrieked in a panic. "Gone?" Alice questioned. "She wasn't in her dressing room, and Madame Giry told me not to go after her!" Hmm. So perhaps Christine wasn't mad at all. It sounded like (now that the possibility of Christine also having a world of her own eliminated) that someone had been masquerading as her Angel and had been tricking her. "Don't worry about it, Raoul," she said slowly as the carriage began to drive off. "I'm sure she's fine." Raoul didn't look consoled, so Alice tried a different approach. "Look, tonight, don't worry about it. Tomorrow, if she hasn't come back yet, we then can start trying to find her, yes?" Raoul crossed his arms and glared outside nervously before nodding.

**RAOUL POV, AN HOUR LATER **

Alice had declined to drink, but it didn't matter much. I think I drank enough for the both of us that night. And it certainly took its toll-people disappeared in and out of my hazy vision, and Alice's eyes seemed to grow brighter by the second as we chatted. "Alice?" I muttered against the blinding lights. "Yes?" "What happened?" "What happened where?" "After we left London. Af'er your family was gone. Wha' happened to you?" She grew quiet, and her eyes lost their shine. They instead gleamed with predatory, feral rage. Her right hand was clasped extremely tight on her steak knife. "Rutledge Asylum." She hissed.

It seems that within those two words, the world froze in its ecstasy and turned horribly realistic. "But before that, it was the normal hospital for a year. I had broken a lot of bones and was quite burnt." I suddenly gasped and blinked rapidly at the sight before me. Alice was gone. She was replaced with...Alice. But a different Alice. A little girl, no older than ten, sitting across from me, clutching a stuffed rabbit in her right hand and the steak knife in her left. "I didn't speak to anyone-I couldn't. They tried everything for a reaction for eight years. Bloodletting. Leeches. Shock therapy. Massive amounts of laudanum." I was sure that my mouth was hanging open. I looked away, blinking my wide eyes in shock. "In desperation, they turned to straightjackets, solitary confinement, sensory deprivation, cancellations of tea-although that mattered none to me, I only take tea with friends, you do know-and they even took away my rabbit!" I nearly laughed at how she pushed away everything else but the mangy rabbit until I saw the knife trembling in her child's hand. The darkness closed in on our table, the only light being that of the candle.

"When I was eighteen, the White Rabbit came to me. I fell down the rabbit hole once more, but this time everything had changed for the worst." Little girl Alice begins to grow taller, her hair began to shorten, her skin became paler, and her eyes became darker. "The Red Queen had taken over, Wonderland was lost. I did end up reversing the effects, which also 'cured' me of my madness, and I then left Rutledge." I looked away, blinked hard, and tried to concentrate on my food. When I looked up at her again, the transformation had completely taken place-a new Alice was sitting poised in front of me. It was official. I was completely drunk. How else could a respectable yet scary young woman turn into a younger version of herself, this time with scraggly, ungodly short black hair, a dirty, street rat-worthy dress, and the eyes of an insomniac? "One of my night nurses-Pris Witless, curse that old bat-got me a job and home at the Houndsditch Home for Wayward Youth." "Wait, wait, don't you run that?" I said, oddly not slurring. I frowned. I was drunk, wasn't I? "Now I do. However, while servicing the man who ran it before I, Angus Bumby-" she spat the name "-he also employed brainwashing techniques on me so I could forget my past. However, what I didn't know, as he destroyed my mind, he destroyed Wonderland and my entire self in the process."

"Why would he do that?" I asked. The street rat Alice in front of me scowled and shoved another piece of steak in her mouth in an unladylike manner. "London is overrun with prostitutes, Raoul. It has become a 'civilized' wilderness. Of which _there is no age limit." _I nearly dropped my glass. "Alice, I, I, I'm so sorr-" "Let me finish," she replies, her voice changing, multiplying as she appears to go through yet another transformation. Her hair becomes straight and neat, gaining bangs but still retaining its short length. Her face seems to go backwards in time, resembling that of the young Alice I first saw. Her outfit changes again too, resembling that of a Queen-frilled cuffs and collar; her dress changing to a regal one of blood red, gold, and black with a heart on the chest-a small crown even appears floating a bit above her head. "He considered selling the children in his care into prostitution was his service to the public. I was quite the more difficult case, as I began to slip back into Wonderland, this time having it covered with black ooze and being destroyed by an infernal train. It took me awhile, but I finally realized that Bumby was no help to me and dove into my dreams once more. I journeyed through most of Wonderland, capturing my vagrant memories and trying to restore my land. I also learned that Bumby had quite the role in my past...mostly Lizzie's, but he ended both her and everyone but me in the end..." I do believe that my jaw has broken. "Alice, are you serious?" "Dead serious. It took me forever, but I finally understood Bumby's true intentions-and his role in my family's burning-and confronted him at Moorgate station." "Where he threw himself in front of a train," I slurred. "And what now, Alice?"

The queenly Alice leaned across the table and took my hand in hers. I gasped-her hands were pulsing and red, like raw, bare flesh, and it appeared that she was now clawed. "Now, Raoul?" She hissed in her multiple voices. "Why, we undo everything. We reconsider everything. And we prepare for the hardships ahead." My head was spinning at this point, and I could have sworn tentacles were coming up from under the table as she cocked her head and looked at me. "Is something the matter?" I closed my eyes hard and rubbed my temples. When I opened them again, there was no queenly Alice across the table with skinless hands or tentacles. There was no insomniac-eyed, scraggly-haired, street rat Alice across the table; nor was there an innocent little girl Alice clutching a stuffed rabbit. There was just present-day Alice, dressed in a light gray, simple evening dress looking at me as if I was the one shapeshifting. "I do believe I've drunk too much," I grumbled. I quickly paid the tab and then walked out. Well, Alice walked. I was stumbling over my feet.

I instructed my driver-in a voice which I hope wasn't as slurred as it appeared to be-to drive to Alice's hotel. "I would advise to get some sleep as soon as you get home," Alice remarked wryly as I swayed back and forth in my seat, staring up at the Parisian stars. "I wonder if Christine's sleeping," I murmured. Alice sighed. "Did you hear what she said after we left? It was for you." "Wha'?" "'Things have changed, Raoul!'" "They couldn't have," I replied, turning and staring at Alice. "Little Lotte said she wouldn't change." She huffed in amusement and leaned back across from me, crossing her arms over her chest and staring out at the night sky. "Promises must be broken over the years, Raoul. There is even a higher chance of that happening, of the promiser changing, if one is out of their presence for too long. Even if an absence from their presence is brief, it is almost as if they were a different person. Certain events play out accordingly through that period of time which your eyes were turned away-the fire, for instance, in my case-events of which change the person for what seems to be the rest of their lives. It twists them into something they were not, sometimes even something they never wanted to become. Do you think I wanted to spend my childhood in an asylum? Well, the fire twisted me, my mind, into leading me down that path." I stared down at my lap, embarrassed, and Alice and I stayed in blissful silence for a few minutes before the carriage pulled to a stop. She hopped out and stared at me before she went inside.

"That is how it always works, Raoul. And I hope you never have to learn it as horribly as I, or even Christine. Goodnight." I reciprocated her sentiment as the carriage door closed, sealing her away from me.

**NEXT DAY, ALICE POV **

Alice found herself quite liking the young therapist in front of her, giving her some theories he'd thought up on how to possibly recreate the children's memories. He was surprisingly light-hearted and jolly, reminding her much of the nicer undergraduates taught by her father. The atmosphere contributed too-they sat at an outdoor cafe on a bright, soft morning near the Seine river with people moseying on past. In fact, everything that morning seemed light and airy-the food, the river, the pedestrians-even the therapist, with his very, very light blonde hair and light gray eyes. It seemed like Alice in her mint green day dress and the rest of Paris was floating on air. She couldn't remember the last time a day had felt like that.

It was ten thirty sharp when her appointment with the young man ended, as he had some patients to attend to. They shook hands, and he promised her in his thick accent that he would meet with her again if any new troubles were to happen. His theories, methods, and address to write him were all written in Alice's notebook as they both turned resolute to go in different directions-Alice towards the large Bois de Boulogne and him back towards his office. She sat down on the grass underneath a tall tree and sighed contentedly. Paris seemed like quite the lovely place to be-like the Vale of Tears, if there was a city in there. How nice it was to get away from everything. She closed her eyes and considered what was to be done that day-exploring. But that could wait an hour or two. For now, she just wished to relax. She opened her notebook to where she had scribbled entries about several different people and Wonderland entities and began three new entries.

_Doctor Alfonse Labelle:  
_A young therapist just beginning to make his way throughout the philanthropic community, having just got out of school only a few months ago. He has several good ideas on how to rid the children of Bumby's conditioning; happily, none are techniques remotely similar to the treatments I endured at the asylum. A gentle soul, this young man's name speaks for himself-noble, ready, and good-looking. I certainly wish to meet him again soon.

_Vicomte Raoul de Chagny: _  
The last living person (who has _not _fallen into ruin after the fire) from my old life. Now that we've both grown up, Raoul has transformed into the White Knight: well-intentioned, kind, caring, full of chivalry, patient, and polite. The man's only fault even mirrors that of the knight-has an absurd habit (in his case, refusing to believe in Christine Daae's Angel of Music), that he will persist in doing even if evidence piles against that habit. In other words, Raoul is a saintly, beautiful little fool. I do suppose that's all he can be in the real world-a beautiful little fool.

Alice had only managed to write the words _Christine Daae _under her passage about Raoul before she heard her name being called. She looked up and was met with Raoul running towards her through the grass. "Raoul? What brings you here?" She asked, closing her notebook and standing up to meet him. He practically plowed into her, grabbing onto her shoulders to catch his breath. Alice figured it would be pointless to question him, so she sat the both of them down on the grass and awaited for him to catch his breath, which took a grand total of five minutes. "I just ran here...all the way from the opera," he managed. Alice blinked. "To find me?" He nodded and gasped some more. "Why?" "They need you at the opera house!" Alice raised an eyebrow. "Raoul, I am not exactly musically inclined." "No, no, Alice. Christine came back. She is sitting in her dressing room, apparently scared out of her wits. She will see no one...except you." "Me?" "Only you. I don't know why." "But why? Can't someone replace her?" "It's not like that," Raoul replied, crossing his ankles and sitting back on his hands like Alice. "You see, La Carlotta, the soprano you and I met yesterday morning, returned today, upset that the managers had replaced her-" "But...she quit!" "Look, Alice, I don't want to understand what's going on in her mind. Anyway, in tonight's opera, the 'Opera Ghost' gave commands that Christine was to play the prima donna's part and Carlotta was to have the silent role of the pageboy/lover of the prima donna. However, Christine refuses to leave her dressing room and says she will only answer to you. Please come Alice!" "Alright, alright. You need to rest, so let us wait for a minute or two."

Raoul didn't argue. Alice found it to be quite lovely-sitting on the grass on a sunny day, underneath a tree with flowers all around and a lake nearby with a good friend as company. Raoul chuckled after a minute. "It looks like the bank you took me to-where you saw the White Rabbit." In fact, Alice did find it almost identical to the bank where she began her descent into madness. "Heh," Raoul mussed. "Imagine if the rabbit ran by just now." "Would you follow it with me?" Alice asked, turning to him. Raoul stroked his chin in thought before smiling. "Probably in an attempt to get you back to go to the opera, but I'm sure I'd fall down right with you. **(A/N: I'd love to see the results of THAT...) **I feel fine now, can we go?" Alice groaned. "Only if we can do this again tomorrow if the weather persists." "Yes, yes." "Promise?" "I promise, Alice Liddell."

A quarter of an hour later, Alice was surrounded by a semi-circle of ballerinas at Christine's door, all waiting to see if Alice was to be the key in the lock. She calmly knocked and announced, "Christine? It's Alice." A gasp was heard from inside, quickly being followed by the sound of a key turning in a lock. Alice didn't even have time to blink as a hand flashed out and yanked her inside, slamming the door behind her. She couldn't help but gasp as she took in Christine's appearance. She looked as if she had been crying for hours on end, her dressing gown from the night before was rumpled-she had a haunted look upon her face that Alice knew all too well. "Alice, Alice," Christine mumbled, sitting down at the vanity while still clutching her hand for dear life. "Alice, Alice, please help m-me." "What happened?" Christine took a shuddering sigh. "A-after you and Raoul left, the angel called me. Oh, Alice, Alice!" She pulled over a stool for Alice to sit on and yanked her down. "Re-remember how you said the second time you went to Wonderland you, you went through a looking-glass?" "Yes..." "The angel t-t-took me through the looking-glass too!" She gestured wildly to the floor-length mirror. Alice gently pried Christine's fingers away from her hand and stepped closer to the mirror.

"But there was no angel!" Christine wailed as Alice examined the mirror. "He-he was nothing but a man, Alice. A masked man. My...my whole time living here...it's all been a lie. Father lied...it's all been lies..." So Alice's second theory had been proven correct. Someone had been masquerading as Christine's angel of music, and Christine was prone to delusions that such a thing existed. "He took me through there, Alice. And the path was made of gold..." Alice turned from where she was kneeling by the mirror. "Gold?" "Gold," Christine said dreamily. "And through the mirror...and nothing but a man..." Alice mussed, before rapping hard on the mirror. "Just as suspected...now...how do you work..." Christine went on rambling about how he had sung to her and she had followed, not knowing what was happening. "Hypnotism," Alice replied, trying to see under the mirror. "Your Angel of Music was able to hypnotize you-in other words, turn you into a puppet on a string (not literally)-into believing that yes, you were being taught singing by a celestial being AND to follow his every command." Christine let out a shuddering breath and her shoulders began to quake again. "Christine," Alice sighed, standing up and walking to the younger woman and putting her hands on her shoulders. "Will you perform tonight?" Brown eyes slowly met green. "I...I will. Yes. I will be the pageboy, Alice."

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Who is it?" Christine called weakly. "Madame Giry," an older woman's voice responded. Alice answered the door and let her in. "Will you perform tonight, cherie?" she asked, setting a costume down on the vanity. "Yes," Christine managed. Alice nodded politely at the older woman before she left, closing the door behind her, which is when she went back to examining the mirror. "Ah!" she murmured in fascination as she discovered that it slid to the left to reveal a passageway. "Um...Christine." "Yes Alice?" "You said the pathway was gold." "Yes, it is-" Christine looked around the screen and froze at the sight of Alice standing at the beginning of a pathway that clearly was NOT golden. "If you consider golden to be wet, stone, mossy, and cobweb infested, believe what you wish." "But...but..." "My God," Alice mussed, ignoring Christine and stepping down the path. "This angel has set up quite a system here...and to hypnotize with only his voice! Simply remarkable...Why, I wonder how..." "Alice, get out of there!" Christine cried, but her protests fell on deaf ears. Alice was too absorbed in the absolute dark wonder of it all. It was like exploring a castle from the Dark Ages! Alice was snapped out of her reverie when 3 little creatures ran across her path and she heard Christine shriek all the way from the mirror. "I can see you've never been to London's east side," Alice called in response, smirking.

She made it all the way to the end of the passageway and couldn't help but gasp at the sight before her. A spiraling staircase, seemingly going on forever. _Staircase to Wonderland. _"A-lice!" Christine called. "Come back!" Alice descended one step but froze as another shape came out of the shadows beneath her. A man, about 6 feet tall, dressed in a sharp black suit and a wide brimmed hat with a cape, stood studying her about 30 or so steps downwards. He was thin-almost as thin as Alice herself-and she noted with surprise the seemingly identical dark hair and green eyes. He also wore a mask of such type that Alice had never seen before-quite the wonder, this man certainly was. "ALICE!" Christine wailed all the way from the mirror. Alice froze, unsure of what to do. Here was a new oddity, but she had a duty to Raoul and Christine. "Vocal hypnotism." She said flatly. He sighed, shifted his eyes, and nodded. Alice nodded in return and gave him a quick salute before making a mad dash for the mirror. She heard the footfalls coming after her, but she knew that the man wouldn't kill her-not with Christine in sight. And she was too fast for him anyways. Alice slammed the mirror shut the second she was fully in Christine's dressing room, and the latter girl grabbed her hand. "Did you see him?" "No." "Will you come to tonight's performance?" Christine begged. Alice frowned. "Why?" "Please, Alice. I think if you were there...I'd have more courage to perform." "I'll see if I can make it. Look here," Alice replied, an idea already forming in her mind. "Christine, if you didn't think about...what happened last night, do you think you could perform better?" "Yes, yes. He's going to be there, he is always there! I won't be able to concentrate." Alice sighed and held out the chain with Lizzie's key on it-which she now wore as a necklace at all times to remind herself of her family.

"I can make the memories go away. But I warn you, it will not be permanent." "Please Alice," Christine said softly. "Please, please make it go away." "Alright..." Alice took the key off from around her neck and instructed Christine to relax, which she did. "3...2...1...Now, watch the key. Follow it with your eyes." The key began to swing back and forth, and Christine's pupils were beginning to dilate. "Very good. You feel sleepy. Very tired. Christine, you need a nap." As if on cue, Christine's eyes closed. "Focus. Weight. You are floating, Christine. Weightless. A cloud. Relax You are far, far away..." "Uh...I'm...I'm back! With-with the Phantom of the Opera! The opera ghost-" Alice nearly lost her concentration. _The _Opera Ghost? The one the stagehands had warned her of? Had she just MET him? "Come now, Christine. Forget it. Abandon that memory. Go somewhere else. Now, Christine. Where are you?" "I'm...by the sea. With Raoul...and Father! Oh, Father!" Alice smiled sadly. "And Father plays his violin..." "Christine...Christine...get lost in the violin...Now, where are you?" "By the sea, in the music...Raoul? Father!" "Alright. Now, last night is a memory still fresh in your mind. You carry it, in the palm of your hand." "Yes..." "Bundle up everything that happened after Raoul and I left the room, all up until this moment. Have you got it?" "Yes..." "Good. Now, throw those memories into the sea...into the music. Now, last night, after Raoul and I left, you felt very sick, so we left you here to your own devices here, where you fell asleep. The reason why you don't want to perform tonight is because you still feel a bit sick. Understood?" "Yes Alice..."

"Now, the memories you threw into the sea and the music will be remembered when you hear the words...'He's here, The Phantom of the Opera.' Now, what happened last night?" "I felt sick...so...I...went to bed...and I don't want to perform...because I still feel a bit sick...and you are here to make me feel better..." Alice smiled. For her first attempt at hypnosis, she did well. "Now...awake at the sound." Alice clapped her hands thrice, and Christine's eyes shot open. "Ohh...Alice? What happened?" The woman in question smiled wryly as she put the key around her neck. "You will remember in due time. Now if you will excuse me, I must get ready for your pageboy triumph. And Christine, remember this-if there are no centaurs in Oxford, there are no angels at the opera." Alice ignored Christine's protests and slipped like a ghost out the door.

**SEVERAL HOURS LATER, RAOUL POV **

I escorted Alice onto the stage where the managers, Carlotta, Piangi, and the Girys were. As a patron, I could easily bring her in ahead of time. I had told her when I brought her here from her hotel all about our plan-how we would stand up to this Opera Ghost! I believe I expected Alice to be extremely impressed, but all she did was raise an eyebrow, lean back in the carriage, and nod. Alice went to find Christine as I stepped up to the front of the stage with my comrades. We all sang in defiance-

_Light up the stage with that age-old rapport!  
__Sing, Prima Donna...  
__Once more! _

"SO!" An imposing voice boomed around the theater. "IT IS TO BE WAR BETWEEN US!" Immediately, all of us onstage began to walk around it, trying to find the source of the voice. "IF THESE DEMANDS ARE NOT MET, A DISASTER, BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION, WILL OCCUR!"

_"Beyond my imagination?" _A new voice called. All of us turned and part for Alice, who marched up to the very front of the stage with an odd smile on her face. "You, sir. YOU ARE MISTAKEN!" And Alice fell to her knees, laughing wildly and raising her arms to the ceiling. I blinked at her shadow-the shadow of the queenly Alice, the one with the hands of bare flesh and a crown floating above her head. I shook my head-I thought it must be a side effect of all the drinks from last night. However, something in Alice's mad laughter straightened us all up, and we all stood together, center stage, behind the still roaring Alice. "ONCE...MORE!" We all sang, raising our fists. Alice suddenly blinked and lowered her arms. "Were you just...singing?" I frowned at her and helped her up. "Yes." "Why?" I shrugged, suddenly surprised. Why WERE we singing? "I...don't know...huh!"

**A/N: WOW that was a lot to write. The next chapter will definitely be shorter, I can assure you of that, so it will likely come up sooner. Anyway, thanks for reading, and please tell me how I did!**


	3. Come Out And Play

**A/N: FINALLY! I am so, so sorry for the late update! I've been on a cruise for the past week, and before that I was in Barcelona. However, now I'm finally able to update, coming to you straight from Marseille, France! Anyway, thank you so much, everyone who followed/reviewed/faved. So please, read on and enjoy!**

**CHRISTINE POV**

The show was going off without a problem. Even though Raoul and Alice sat in Box 5, even though Carlotta was the Countess and I was the pageboy, even though everything the Opera Ghost asked for was going in the opposite direction. I was surprised that something hadn't been dropped on Carlotta already. Strangely, I didn't feel sick. But how could that be? I remembered feeling sick, but it dawned upon me that I remembered that I had felt sick...oddly enough, I couldn't relieve the sensation! All I knew was the empty meaning behind the words, but not the experience. Ah! How frustrating it was. Maybe my angel had sung me to sleep again, though I doubted such.

"DID I NOT INSTRUCT..." Oh, finally. "THAT BOX 5 WAS TO BE KEPT EMPTY?!" Immediately we all gasped and I turned to look worriedly at where Alice and Raoul sat. Raoul, like everyone else, was looking around curiously, but oddly Alice just leaned back and sipped her champagne. "He's here! The Phantom of the Opera!" Meg whimpered. Immediately, it was as if I had been hit by a carriage. Memories exploded, blossomed into my mind. Memories of mist, an underground lake, a false angel, a horrible demon in my idol's place. My God...Father...Father, why did you lie? I stared straight at Alice, who sighed silently, twirled the key around her neck, and nodded once. Alice, oh, Alice. Why could you have not made that loss forever? I would have rather been in the dark about last night and this morning's true events than have to remember them again! "It's him," was all I could mutter. Carlotta snapped her fan at me and said something about how I should stay silent before going off to get more throat spray.

The orchestra started up again, and Carlotta began to sing. "Kiss me-" On cue, I stepped forward, but then Carlotta...belched, or croaked, or made some other inhuman sound. Every soul in the Opera gasped-all except two. I was sure the Ghost didn't, and I saw Alice's eyebrows rise to the maximum and saw her cock her head curiously. Then the laughter came in waves-Alice herself laughed! Carlotta tried again, looking certainly more upset, but the result actually sent Alice-and everyone else-on a roar. It then struck me that this was the first time I'd ever seen Alice smile warmly. Carlotta wailed to the heavens as the curtains shut. The managers began blabbering as the laughter died. Suddenly, my wrist was grabbed, I was dragged onstage, and Firmin announced, "-when the role of the Countess will be played by Miss Daae!" The audience roared with approval before I was pushed again backstage with hurried orders to get ready fast.

**ERIK POV**

Finally, things are going my way. But now, it was time to add insult to injury. Or perhaps the other way around? That disgusting little man must be dealt with, not only for talking of me too much, but to make my intentions clear to the managers, the Vicomte, and the toad. Oh, and that strange Englishwoman too. Foolish girl, to believe that I was mistaken in the disaster being beyond her imagination. What could she possibly know about the dark? She was probably a noble or belonged to a family of noveau riche people. There was no way she could have an imagination to surpass my deeds and my world. A creature of the light, just like that stupid boy she was definitely involved with. Although, (I mussed as I followed Buquet around awaiting my chance) the Englishwoman was the savior of my relationship with Christine. Christine obviously liked that boy and was already scared half-to-death of me, so the only thing keeping those two apart was the girl-"Alice Liddell"-and her relationship with the patron. Perhaps she wasn't too bad, Christine seemed to like her.

I was snapped out of my reverie when Buquet stopped right in front of me. Perfect! He let out a gasp, a squeak, and then ran off. I cut him off at every turn. A taste of his own medicine. When I finally cornered him, he fell flat on his face as I put my lasso to work. It was oddly fitting, to have his last sight be the ballet girls twirling, those girls he always tried to bed. _"Reckless creatures always want another find...Stealing features, each a diamond to be mined..."_ I whispered, my eyes locked on where Alice Liddell sat in _my _box. I savored her reaction, savored the feeling of knowing that soon she would realize she was the mistaken one. She was a fine lady, was she not? Just like all the other female audience members here?  
_"There are facets to stake  
__And cricks in our necks  
We're like moths to the flame  
Get ready and set  
Now tarry no longer  
Let's burn one another  
We're one and we're twain  
Now let's play a game!"_ Buquet's body dropped as I eagerly watched the Englishwoman. _No! How could she? _My jaw dropped. I didn't even notice that I had also dropped the stagehand's body.

She reacted naught! Her eyes only widened and she leaned forward curiously. That was all. There was not a speck of fear to be shown on her entire being. Just pure curiosity. I was filled with both a starving wonderment and a savage anger at her lack of disgust. Your average, fine noblewoman? I think not. All of the other women in the theater screamed and recoiled in disgust while she leaned forward in her reverie. How fascinating she was. Perhaps there was something more…I made it my new goal to crack this girl if it was the last thing I did.

**ALICE POV **

"Raoul! Raoul!" I cried, losing him again in the swarm backstage. I was spinning again, but with no stagehands to hold me in place. The swirling mass soon spat me out, however, near the stairs that led up to what I assume would be the roof. Perhaps Raoul was up there already, and with that thought, I made my way up the stairs. The entire time, however, I seemed to have gained another shadow. I assumed it to be another hallucination-rarer as they were becoming, when they came they were severe and led to more vivid ones. When I finally made it topside, my breath caught in my throat. The night was lovely. Oddly enough, it reminded me of Tundrafull, minus the glaciers and aurora borealis. Voices caught my attention, coming up the stairs. _Raoul and Christine. _I fled into the darkest corner of the roof before blinking at the door. I had left it open when I came up. Why was it closed? Was there something more to the hallucination? Was I falling into Wonderland again?

Raoul and Christine finally burst out of the door. "There is no Phantom of the Opera!" Raoul yelled, grabbing Christine's shoulders. Yes, if there was a White Knight in the real world, it was Raoul. Too damn stubborn, the beautiful fool. "Raoul, I've been there!" Christine cried, shaking away from him. "To his world of unending night! To a world where the daylight dissolves into darkness…darkness…Raoul, I've seen him! Can I ever forget that sight?" It then struck me that she was singing. Good God, what was it with the people in this country and singing their problems? I laughed inwardly as I imagined singing through Wonderland on my last journey there, stopping when I was faced with the horrible thought of Dr. Bumby singing.

"But his voice filled my spirit with a strange, sweet sound…in the night, there was music in my mind…and from music, my soul began to soar…and I heard, as I'd never heard before…" Raoul, bless the fool's soul, looked at her worriedly from across the roof. "What you heard was a dream and nothing more…" he sang in response, trying to reassure Christine. Although, it sounded much like he was trying to reassure himself. The death of that mangy stagehand had certainly shaken him up. "Yet in his eyes…" Christine sang, more to herself than to Raoul, "…all the sadness of the world…" This caught my attention quickly. "Those pleading eyes…that both threaten and adore…" Raoul swallowed. I saw the look in his eye-I know it all too well. He thought she was absolutely mad. But there was something else in that gaze, something that had never been in the gaze of others when they looked at me that way. It took me a moment, but then it slammed into me as if a Dollgirl suddenly cut into my face with one of her hook hands. It was the way I saw couples on the street look at each other. It was the way Mother and Papa used to look at each other. Curiouser and curiouser.

"Christine, Christine," Raoul sang. _"Chris…tine…" _Immediately the 3 of us looked around wildly for the source. I, however, was the only one to find it-a black, masculine figure standing behind a statue of Apollo, only a few feet to my right where I stood in complete darkness. I watched the figure intently, willing him to turn, but he did nothing. "Christine!" Raoul cried again. I turned from the figure and saw Raoul bend down and offer a hand to Christine, who had fallen to her knees with her arms clasped around her head. She looked up, a bit disbelieving, before taking Raoul's hand. He helped her to her feet before deftly taking off her hood and wrapping her in his arms.

Unconsciously at the same time, I wrapped my own arms around myself and the dark figure took a step back, obviously pained. How cold it was to us, the ones in the background. "No more talk of darkness. Forget these wide-eyed fears, I'm here. Nothing will harm you…" I nearly screamed in agony. Not another song! If Doctor Labelle was ever going to start serenading me about his therapy sessions, I swore, I was never setting foot in this infernal country again. _Talk of summertime…all I ask of you…say you love me…all I ask of you…da, da, da, da, duh. _How dull. I began to question the nature of their duet. Was this some common ritual that had taken shape while I was being incarnated at Rutledge? Find an old childhood friend, spend barely 2 days with them and then declare your undying love? Was this common in England too, among the middle and upper class?

It seemed to be hours before they finally, _finally _kissed. The dark figure turned from the scene in horror, and finally caught my gaze. _The Opera Ghost. _His stare wasn't particularly sharp or protruding, more…curious. Respectful. A side of his mouth twitched upward in a small, fleeting smile. I nodded tactfully back before Raoul and Christine sang at the top of their lungs: "ANYWHERE, YOU GO, LET ME GO TOOOOOOOOOOO! LOVE ME, THAT'S ALL I ASK OF YOU!" I clenched my teeth in annoyance while O.G. slumped against the statue of Apollo sadly. I watched as Raoul and Christine kissed again before she sang again (I was about to go out of my hiding spot and rip her vocal cords out at this point)- "I must go, they'll wonder where I am! Wait for me, Raoul!" She began to run to the door before Raoul sang excitedly, as if he wished for the entire city to hear-"CHRISTINE, I LOOOOVE YOU!"

At this, the ghost clenched his heart with his right hand and clenched his left fist. "Order your fine horses!" Christine almost squealed. "Be with them at the door!" Raoul took her hand and began to lead her down the stairs. "And soon, you'll be beside me…" Raoul sang to her. "You'll guard me and you'll guide me…" Finally, FINALLY they were off the stupid roof! If they stayed any longer I would have probably had another fit, my first one in months! My relief was gone and replaced with natural curiosity, however, when I saw O.G. step out from behind his hiding place and pick up a red rose with a black ribbon tied around it.

"I gave you my music…made your song take wing…and now, how you repay me? Deny me and betray me…" Oddly enough, there was no rage and annoyance that yet ANOTHER song about personal problems was being sung. Only a growing sense of dread in the cell of my heart. "He was bound to love you…when he heard you sing…Christine…" He put the rose to his lips and clutched it as if it was a lifeline. I cautiously put a foot out of the shadows, moving silently. One step. Two. Three. Four. It didn't take long for me to be standing directly behind him. Raoul and Christine's voices began to echo up from the bottom of the stairs, and I rolled my eyes and clasped my hands around my head. I let go, however, when suddenly O.G. dropped the flower (which was now a stem, as he had been crushing the petals. He ran up to the top of the statue of an angel overlooking Paris in all its nighttime glory and shouted into the wind with the force of a thousand thunderstorms-

"YOU WILL CURSE THE DAY, YOU DID NOT DO…ALL THAT THE PHANTOM ASKED OF, YOOOOOOU!" I watched on breathlessly, but I stiffened at attention when an all-too-familiar voice rang in my head:

_"Your sister was a tease. Pretended to despise me. She got what she wanted…in the end." _

The pieces fell together. Clearly the Phantom loved Christine, on top of tricking her into believing he was a celestial being. And now that Christine was with Raoul, I could tell this man would do anything to get her for himself. I had seen the effects of unrequited 'love' (obsession), and suddenly an immense desire to protect Raoul swelled inside of me. I had sworn to never pray to God when in the asylum. There is no God in such misery. However, for Raoul, I made an exception. _Please. Let him live. And if this Phantom attempts to do something like Bumby…please, nothing to do with fire._

The Phantom suddenly swirled around, and I took a cautious step back. He was clearly enraged, and I just then realized that perhaps I should have left the roof sooner. However, almost all traces of anger disappeared from his face, and he hopped down from the statue in front of me. He circled me once before singing-

_Hello, hello, hello!  
Beautiful stranger-_

Beautiful? I was beautiful? Alice Pleasance Liddell, lunatic, orphan, killer, was beautiful? His words struck me with such force that I nearly stumbled into him as he began his 2nd circle around me. They were words that I probably would have heard much more, if it were not for Dr. Bumby. Never once had I been called beautiful after the fire. I snapped out of it in misery. How could something so simple, a simple TITLE, weaken me so? Was it because I never had the simple things?

_Tell me, how familiar is the danger?_

_Slipping into the shadows_

_'Tis true, 'tis true, 'tis true_

_Light creatures always do _

_Us in the shadows too _

_Us in our shadows…_

"Danger? 'Us in the shadows'? Excuse me?" I demanded, confused. He spread his hands. "You are not like the others, Mademoiselle Liddell. First, you went into the corridor with no fear, of either the rats or the dankness." "It's much like a London street. Reminded me of home." "…second, you defy me and laugh to my face." "To your _face? _As I recall, you were throwing your voice around the theater and no one could see you!" He gave a small smile. "Third, a dead man is suddenly dropped onto the stage and yet you treat it as if it was something you see everyday." "People die on London streets everyday. I have seen it happen. It is not extraordinary." "It may not be, but you certainly are. You are of the dark, masquerading as one of the light. What makes you so?"

I had no idea how in the world to answer his question. What right did he have, to know about a fire and an asylum and torture and brainwashing and everything else? He was going to try and hurt Raoul. I knew he was. "What right is it of yours? You are going to attempt to rid the world of Raoul. I will not let you." "Why is that? He has left you, just like my angel has left me. He is gone from you." "Raoul is all I have left, you filthy cur!" I shrieked, feeling myself begin to fall again. "He is my last piece of what I used to be, you miserable louse!" I struggled to regain control of my senses. I couldn't throw another fit, not here, not now. "I was never involved with him! But he is the last living, clean person from my childhood that was not spent in a catonic Hell! Don't you DARE harm him in any way!" "And why shouldn't I? What are you so capable of?" he shot back. I took a deep breath and began my tale. I did NOT want to talk about this.

"12 years ago in London, there lived an Oxford professor and his family. He had two daughters. The second one was quiet but with a raving imagination. She fell into the background and quite liked it, basking in the shadow of her elder sister. This elder sister was named Elizabeth, but called Lizzie by all who loved her-which was everybody. She was the opposite of her sister-charming, beautiful, social, level-headed. Almost an angel. She was sixteen years old when one of her father's undergraduates began to pursue her with more fervor than any of the others. This monst-ahem, undergraduate was named Angus Bumby. Now, Angus Bumby started off as just one of the other undergraduates with an infatuation with Lizzie, but became convinced when Lizzie rejected him that she was simply teasing him. Angus Bumby was enraged and infatuated all at once, and his feelings quickly mutated into an obsessive lust."

The Phantom listened well as I continued. "He began to frighten Lizzie, making unwanted advances and the like. Lizzie confessed all this to her younger sister and barred the professor from inviting Angus Bumby to tea ever again. One night, Angus Bumby realized he'd had enough. He broke into the professor's home, stole Lizzie's bedroom key, raped and killed her-which came first is unknown-and then set fire to the house to try and cover his tracks. His plan was to try and kill the entire family, but the littlest girl escaped. She even saw Angus Bumby standing in the trees and watching the house burn, but was so out of her wits she saw him as a centaur. Now, this little girl couldn't speak, couldn't respond to any stimulation, and couldn't be human. This little girl was locked in an asylum for an entire decade before she regained most of her senses and was released. The little girl, however, quickly began to fall back into madness-or, as she called it, Wonderland. An entire universe all in her mind. The little girl took several trips into Wonderland and killed people along the way, but finally realized what she had seen in the woods that day was no centaur. So she went to Moorgate Station and confronted the man who had started it all. Long story short, Angus Bumby and trains do not mix. The newspapers said that it had been suicide-what else could it have been, they said. But that little girl knew what it could have been. She knows it as we speak."

The Phantom inhaled sharply. "You couldn't kill me," he said simply. "Maybe not. But did you see the other things?" He was very quiet. "I…frighten Christine," he whispered. "And you could hurt others who could turn around and get their revenge," I said pointedly. "Now, are you not going to hurt Raoul or Christine in any way?" He sighed. "I will be taking a few months off of terrorizing the managers to work on my new opera. I suppose I will be too busy to do so. After that-" He raised his hands. "I can promise you nothing. The game will play out. I will get Christine. In the end." He then sang softly-

_High stakes, three shakes, no breaks _

_I'll triple the wager _

_Three clicks in the chamber _

_Three chances to claim her…_

"As long as none of them are hurt…I suppose that will suffice." I began to walk towards the door. "Mademoiselle?" "Yes?" "What did you mean earlier today-that my feats were nothing compared to your imagination?" "I never said that." "It was implied." I snorted. "Sir, if you too have created your own entire universe all in your mind, where everything is twisted every way, everything is utter nonsense, and nothing is what it is, and everything is what it isn't, like I have…I would say our imaginations are equal." He said nothing after that. I opened the door before remembering the question that had been on my mind ever since Christine told me about the hypnosis.

"Sir? May I ask you a question?" The Phantom nodded. "How did Christine snap out of the hypnosis that had been put on her for years all in one night?" He sighed regretfully. "She finally saw through the lies and saw what I truly was. But before that, it began to rupture from an appearance of someone from her past." _See through the lies…an appearance of someone from the past…_ Yes! That seemed like another theory to be put to the test. I nodded. "I see. Well, thank you very much for your time; I really must be going now." I was about to close the door behind me when I heard him mutter, "…thinks she can get revenge…foolish girl-" I slammed open the door, enraged at his underestimation, and spat a poem at him-

_Where is your angel lost, sir_

_Tears, sir, tears, sir_

_ Bruised in the rain _

_With her heart never torn _

_With your curse off _

_His love on _

_Tears, sir, tears, sir _

_And where will your angel sleep, sir _

_Under no smoke stacks _

_Under the blanketed heap _

_Under the roof where it never leaks_

_Tears, sir, tears, sir _

_You're drowning in the grief _

_Of Jupiter's water _

_Let me open my teeth and cradle you there _

_There's a bed for the soprano and noose for the phantom _

_Both orphaned by Heaven _

_Where no child is spared!_

His jaw nearly hit the floor. I watched as he fell to his knees and cried and sobbed like I never had. I watched it with an animalistic malice and glee before slamming the door behind me, sealing him off to the cold and ignoring the growing scent of irony in the cell of my heart.

**A/N: And we're done! (Damn, this is 9 pages!) Again, I am so, so sorry for the extremely late update. The next one should be up sooner, as I now have written out some of it ahead of time and it ought to be shorter. **

**Hehe, this is getting interesting to write out. I suppose Alice and Erik have a 'civil rivalry' brewing, no? Lesson to Erik: Don't screw around with a former asylum patient, she'll f-k you up! **

**Anyways, thanks for reading, and please review!**


	4. Her Name Is Alice

**A/N: ACK! I realized I haven't given any proper credits to anything recently! So, here we are-**

**Cover photo: belongs to AliceYuric on DA**

**Beautiful Stranger: a song from The Devil's Carnival, belongs to the guys who wrote Repo! The Genetic Opera**

**Grief (Tears, Sir): another song from The Devil's Carnival, belongs to the same people.**

**I only own Dr. Labelle. Everyone/everything else belongs to either ALW, American McGee, Lewis Carroll, and the guys who wrote R!TGO. **

**Also, I admit that I messed up with the timing on the first chapter. This story is actually taking place _twelve _years after Alice and Raoul met, instead of ten. Thank you grapejuice101, Meekasa, and Potolover08 for faving/reviewing/following since the last chapter. On with the show!**

**ALICE POV**

Falling.

Not a particularly new feeling, but Alice WAS a bit confused. She hadn't journeyed down to Wonderland since she defeated the Dollmaker. Was there a new threat to be dealt with? Everything seemed to be at peace. The hallucinations, while still rare, weren't of anything extremely awful like the Ruin or people with Jabberwocky heads. They were just usually involving seeing the White Rabbit running past or the Cheshire Cat sitting on the mantel. Things like that.

Alice became even more confused as she finally got a glimpse of where she would land. The Pale Realm? Was the Red Queen trying to stir something up again? Alice kept pondering as her appearance changed, her white nightgown materializing into her customary blue Wonderland dress, stripped stockings, and black boots. When she finally landed on solid ground, 3 White Pawns greeted her. "Cause no ruckus, miss. The Bird always watches." Alice blinked. "The Bird?" "The-" The second White Pawn looked around wildly before whispering, "-JubJub Bird!" Almost as if on cue, an avian shriek rang out across the land. "What is it about this Bird that is so awful?" "It is not safe here. Come with us, miss. We'll take you to a place where we can talk."

For a while they escorted her through the Pale Realm in silence. Alice found she quite liked it-the slight breeze, the lazy clouds drifting overhead, and the fact that no monsters or agents of the Red Queen were jumping them. However, Alice's bliss was interrupted when a White Knight (that Alice knew rather well) on his steed galloped up to them. She smiled halfheartedly all the same-he was still riding in his ridiculous fashion and (something she hadn't noticed before) his eyes were grayish blue, like Raoul's. "The Bird is coming! We must make haste to the palace! Quickly now!"

It ended up taking the five a bit longer than expected to make it to the palace, as the White Knight kept falling over due to his odd riding method. When they finally arrived, the doors slammed shut behind them. All the windows were closed and the curtains were pulled almost entirely shut so only small slivers of light to see by were available. Alice frowned. Why all this protection? It was just a bird. How much harm could it cause?

She, the Pawns, and the Knight all rushed down the hallway and were greeted by the Queen. "Ah, Alice," the Queen greeted her in her soft voice. "The time of your arrival could not be more fortunate." "Thank you. Now, what's this I've been hearing about some bird?" The Queen looked around the room nervously, even though they were all alone. "This is no ordinary bird, Alice. The JubJub bird is the stuff of legends. It is a master of imitation and disguise. Its voice is one straight out of heaven itself, implanted into a demon. It has created complicated traps of which no one has ever returned from looking for. But the JubJub Bird's most lethal weapon is its voice. Pawns, Rooks, Bishops, and even a Knight have been taken away. They hear the Bird's song, follow it, and are never heard of again."

"So you wish for me to rid you of this bird? Where does it live?" "To the south of the end of the Pale Realm, in a lonely, dark, thin valley. There are many of those, but you will definitely know this one when you see it, as it is the darkest and dankest of them all." Alice thanked the White Queen and started off on her quest. It didn't take long, however, for her to notice that the Knight was closely following her. "Why are you following me?" The Knight fell off his horse again catching up to her and only answered when he got back up again: "This Bird does not frighten me. I feel that as two alone, I should accompany you on your journey." Alice let out a noncommittal grunt and the two of them set off in peace.

It seemed to be seconds before they found it. A lonely, dark, thin valley seeming to go straight into Wonderland's center. All was silent as Alice and the Knight gazed into the crevice. A moment later, an avian screech rang out across the valley and the notorious bird itself rose out of the darkness and floated in place, studying Alice and the Knight. Alice's breath caught in her throat at the sight of the thing. For one, it was massive-about 75% of the size of the Dollmaker. Second, it was almost entirely coated in sleek, glossy black feathers, except for the left half of its face, which was completely composed of blindingly white feathers. Third, its eyes were quite familiar to Alice-she had stared them down in the real world only hours before.

The three regarded the opposite in silence for a moment before the Bird let out a series of screeches, squawks, and cries. Alice and the Knight had no time to react as the Bird suddenly shot high up into the air before diving down again, headfirst, sharp beak aimed straight for the Knight, who didn't even look up at it. _What a stubborn fool! _Alice thought, shoving him and his horse out of the way before leaping as high as she could in the air, Vorpal Blade already materializing into her hand. She only managed to land 3 hits on the Bird before it shrieked awfully and shot back up to where she could not reach. Scowling, Alice switched over to the Pepper Grinder and began to hurriedly pepper the large bird, which was now squawking and attempting to stay away from her as much as possible.

It felt that it took Alice an eternity, but finally the Bird seemed to be close to death. She drew out her blade and walked gingerly to where it was flying close to the ground, weakened enough to only be letting out painful little chirps. However, it swiveled around to face her as she raised her blade for the final strike and let out an ungodly, awful, beautiful song, straight in her face. Alice stared straight into its maw as the valley began to crumble and a blindingly white light greeted her, and she began to stumble, backwards, forwards, and then was rising, rising…

And Alice shot up in her hotel bedroom, greeted by morning Parisian sunlight, dressed in her nightgown with no blade in her hand. She blinked repeatedly and looked around. The sound of birds chirping outside caused her to groan and flop her head into her hands. _Oh dear, and everything was going SO nicely, with no dreams and such, _she thought grudgingly as she glared out the window at the birds mocking her. A splash of red caught her attention, however, when Alice spotted a letter sealed with a red ink stamp. Walking over to the window, she picked up the letter and noticed that the seal was in the shape of a skull. Lizzie's voice suddenly rang clear in her head-

_"Oh, Alice, I've just read the most amazing book! The Scarlet Pimpernel, it's called. It's about a man who rescues innocent people from execution and he leaves behind a letter with a scarlet pimpernel!"_

"Huh. So would this be _The Scarlet Death's Head?_" Alice mussed as she unfolded the letter and began to read-

_Mademoiselle Alice Liddell:_

_Well played. Very well played._

_As my way of admitting defeat, I warn you to get out of Paris as soon as you possibly can and do not come back for at least three months. Elsewise, there will be much to be paid from you._

_Also, keep that boy away from the opera for the same amount of time. This is in accordance with your pleas from last night._

_Displease me again, and you and your wishes will not be so lucky._

_Your humble servant,_

_O.G._

As she finished reading, a sprig of flowers fell out of the envelope. Frowning, Alice picked them up for examination. Seven Indigo begonias and bellflowers, tied together with a silken black ribbon. She stared at them for a moment longer before deciding to comply with his instructions. She saw what happened when you didn't. And yet, even as she finished packing, even as she hastily saw Raoul and Christine and gave them goodbyes, even as her ship began to sail towards England, she had a small little smirk on her face the whole time.

She'd won. Even if it may have been temporary.

**2 MONTHS LATER, DECEMBER 28TH, HOUNDSDITCH HOME FOR WAYWARD YOUTH, LONDON**

Even on London's East Side, contaminated by filth and corruption, there were little pockets of heaven to be found. Such was discovered at Houndsditch Home For Wayward Youth one December afternoon, where Alice Liddell and Doctor Alfonse Labelle sat inside what used to be Doctor Bumby's office drinking hot tea together. Doctor Labelle was on a vacation and had decided to pay Alice a visit to see how his treatments were working-which was, in actuality, quite splendidly. Alice didn't tell him, however, that she had also been doing what the Phantom told her snapped Christine out of the hypnosis (especially since the Phantom's idea was faster to use).

But now the two were done with the formalities and now sat in silence, just enjoying each other's company before Doctor Labelle put down his cup and inquired if Alice was to come back to Paris anytime soon. She sighed. "I was warned not to." "Warned?" The doctor leaned forward in interest. "By whom?" Alice sat back. "Have you ever been to the Opera Garnier?" He laughed. "Why, of course! My cousin Ubaldo Piangi is the lead tenor." "So I take it you've heard of the Opera Ghost." Doctor Labelle blinked. "…Did…did you just insinuate that the _Phantom of the Opera, _the most notorious criminal in all of Paris, warned _you specifically _to not come to Paris?!" In response, Alice got up, rifled through what had become her desk, and came out with the letter she'd gotten and the flowers (which she had pressed as a trophy of sorts).

After reading the letter and examining the flowers, Doctor Labelle was silent for a moment. Then, in a slightly quaking voice-"What did you do to upset him? And what did he mean, 'admit defeat'?" Alice sat back and recounted to him all of her adventures in Paris, leaving out her latest Wonderland dream and the singing. When she finished, she thought for a moment the man would faint. "My God…" He finally whispered. Then he regained his composure. "But now his warning is invalid. You are safe to visit, Alice." She frowned. "What do you mean?" Doctor Labelle spread his hands. "He is dead! Or, has left the Opera to do God-Knows-What-Else. And anyway, it has nearly been 3 months. You can come to the Masquerade that the Opera is hosting to ring in the New Year!"

"How do you know he is dead?" Alice inquired. "Cousin Ubaldo tells me that, ever since the death of the stagehand in the last _Il Muto _performance, nothing has gone wrong. The Ghost has not delivered any new notes. Never since he came has there ever been such a long period of rest and ease. So, it makes sense that he should be dead or gone, _oui?_" Alice was silent for a moment. _He did say that he would be taking a few months to complete an opera…and yet he would still probably have some extra time to do his opera-ghostly escapades…_ She sighed. He wasn't dead. She knew it, deep in her mind. And neither could the JubJub Bird be dead as well.

"I suppose so. And it _has _been 3 months…" "Exactly!" Doctor Labelle exclaimed. "So, what say you, Alice? Will you come to the Masquerade? I could take you!" Alice let out a huff of amusement and raised an eyebrow. "You really want me to go, don't you? " The doctor rolled his eyes before straightening up and said to her in a high-and-mighty voice (made more amusing by his already thick French accent)- "Mademoiselle Alice Liddell, would you kindly provide me with the enormous honor of escorting you to the New Year's _Bal Masque_ at the Palais Garnier?" Despite all of Alice's best efforts, she burst out laughing. He sounded like her Father did when he would sometimes imitate the French. "There!" The doctor said, pretending to be annoyed but sporting an amused grin of his own. "Must I be more blatant?" Alice regained her composure before shrugging and agreeing to go. What harm could it cause? It then struck her-she had never been to a real party! She had been too young to go to dinner parties, then wasted the rest of her childhood and teen years in an asylum, then was too busy playing maid and was too poor to do anything anyway, and finally was too busy taking care of the children! Yes, Alice was definitely going to this masquerade.

"Perfect! Now, we need to get you a costume…" Doctor Labelle began to pace rapidly, muttering under his breath as if Alice getting a costume was going to prevent the end of the world. She found it quite amusing. "Can't we do something simple?" she called over to him. "We don't have much time anyway. It's 3 days until the Masquerade." "Something simple…" The doctor muttered, stopping his pacing. He snapped his fingers. "I have it! All you need to do is get a white dress. Even a nightgown would do, you would just need to alter it so it does not really appear to be a nightgown. I will take care of the rest." "Doctor, what exactly are you planning?" He smiled widely. "As per your request, something simple. I hope you like wonderfully complex concepts, however." She smiled in return. "Why, what do you think Wonderland is made of?"

**THREE DAYS LATER, THE PARIS OPERA HOUSE **

It wasn't hard to sneak into the masquerade. _You'd think a place as fine as this would have some better guards, _Alice mussed from behind her mask. She got that alien feeling again-alone, an observer amongst all the colors and finery. And where she was now it was more obvious-she wore a long black cape over her simple costume and was shoved in the middle of a crowd of avid, cheery partygoers all in loud, glittery costumes. She searched the crowd in vain for Raoul, but then gave up. _What does it matter? He's probably wearing a mask anyway._

Actually, she wasn't entirely alone. Doctor Labelle was right next to her, wearing a long white cape over his costume, simple as hers. Alice had no idea how he'd convinced her to go to this godforsaken party, but it had happened and now here they were. At least he was good company. And Alice found she quite liked the concept of their mirrored costumes. It was almost something out of Wonderland from the Pale Realm. The servants swooped in and quickly took away everyone's coats, and Alice found herself alone again, but in a different sense. This felt even more awkward than not knowing anyone, even though she knew this problem was much more petty than the first. Suddenly the crowd she was in all went silent. It took Alice a moment to realize they were all staring at _her and Doctor Labelle. _Shaking off the curious stares, she quickly walked into the ballroom to search for Raoul...and found herself toy to more eyes staring from glittering faces. _Causing people to stare is second nature now. I do hope it's not a vice._

**RAOUL POV**

Raoul darted among the partygoers, glancing up then and there to attempt to find Christine. He stumbled towards the stairway that led out of the opera house when he noticed that everyone in that area was either whispering or staring up. Mirroring the throng, he looked up at the thin figure standing unsurely on the stairs.

It was a young woman entirely clad in bright white, which stood out more than anyone else's costume (for Raoul had noted that everyone else was dressed in loud colors). It took Raoul a moment to realize that she wore no gloves, her arms were so pale. Her mask was puzzling too. It was a plain, simple white just like the rest of her attire, but it didn't just cover the area around her eyes. It covered almost her entire face-there wasn't even a hole for her mouth! Only her nostrils and green eyes were visible. _Wait a minute...green eyes? _The woman began to walk down the stairs-straight toward him, he realized-and he noticed her hair was straight, long, and black. "Alice, is that you?" Raoul said in a teasing manner as she walked up to him. "Guilty as charged," she replied in her English accent, muffled by her mask. Raoul laughed and handed her a glass of champagne from a waiter.

"You look lovely, Alice. Although...what are you supposed to be?" "I am everywoman," she said in her muffled accent. "Neither ugly nor beautiful. Neither rich nor poor. I could be any woman, any woman at all." "Ah, there you are," a familiar voice said, swooping in and taking Alice's arm. A man, dressed entirely in black with a full black mask mirroring Alice's. He had slicked down blonde hair and light gray eyes. "Alphonse!" Raoul exclaimed over the din, embracing his friend.

**ALICE POV**

The shout caught the attention of the fat tenor a few feet away, and as soon as Raoul set the doctor down, he was crushed in his cousin's arms. "Alice, do you dance?" Raoul questioned her as he led her away. "No-and don't you dare try and teach-OHMYGOD NO RAOUL!" Alice couldn't help but shriek as Raoul lifted her up and above his head by her waist and spun her around thrice in sync with the other dancers. He laughed good-naturedly as Alice slapped him on the arm in annoyance after he set her down. "Oh, come now, Alice. Just one dance? For your old childhood friend?" "Even if I wanted to, I can't, remember?" "Then let me teach you. Come on, Alice…" "Oh, _fine! _Lead the way, then!"

She didn't dare admit it in the beginning, but she found the dancing to be quite fun. Alice hadn't had very much fun, if any at all, since the fire, and for the moment she relished everything. One dance turned to two, then three, and by the fourth one Alice was laughing hysterically and her face was flushed. Raoul was grinning from ear-to-ear and the smile showed no sign of going away anytime soon. For the ending of the fourth, Raoul grabbed her hands and sent the two of them spinning, right in the middle of the dance floor. It almost felt as if Alice was flying, a cloud in her simple white dress. It ended, though, when she spotted a familiar brunette dressed in pinks, purple, and silver standing at the edge to the dance floor, watching Alice spinning with Raoul with a forlorn, jealous look upon her face.

The taste of what could have been, the feel of heaven, the floating, dancing cloud known as Alice Liddell crashed down to Earth as the song ended and Raoul ran over to Christine. She turned to find Doctor Labelle before Raoul grabbed her arm and shouted to Christine, "-don't you recognize her? It's Alice!" Immediately the forlorn aspect of Christine's face disappeared and was replaced with an eager smile, but Alice looked hard enough into her eyes and saw a tinge of jealousy. "Oh-…Alice! How lovely it is to see you again!" she blurted. Alice nodded politely and then noticed the glittering gold chain around her neck and what was at the end. She looked at Raoul once, then back at Christine before smirking. "Good try, you two. I hate to tell you, but it's about as obvious as a white rose painted red in the middle of a bush of plain white ones." They both blushed and looked down at their shoes before the song playing reached a huge crescendo. Immediately Raoul and Christine ditched Alice and ran for the grand staircase, where most of the partygoers were, so that the only people left on the actual floor were the people who did not know the dance, and at the front of that crowd, Alice and Doctor Labelle dressed in their black and white simplicity.

_MASQUERADE!_

_Paper faces on parade!_

_MASQUERADE!_

_Hide your face so the world will never find you!_

Alice groaned as she realized they were singing. Doctor Labelle, to his credit, looked pretty dumbfounded by it as well. The singers mimed hiding their faces and lashed out to those who did not know the dance. "WHY ARE YOU ALL SINGING?" Alice screamed above the noise, but got no reply.

_MASQUERADE!_

_Every face a different shade!_

_MASQUERADE!_

_Look around, there's another mask behind you!_

_MASQUERADE!_

_Grinning yellows, spinning reds!_

_MASQUERADE!_

_Stop and stare at the sea of smiles around you!_

_MASQUERADE!_

_Grinning yellows, spinning reds!_

_MASQUERADE!_

Alice's breath caught in her throat as a figure suddenly appeared at the head of the stairs. This figure was clad entirely in a magnificent costume of red and gold, and his outfit was made complete with a sword at his hip and a mask made to resemble a skull on his face. It didn't take Alice long to figure out her suspicions were correct. _I knew it! _

_Take your fill at the spectacle around you!_

_MASQUE…_

Everyone turned around and let out gasps or shrieks and parted to make way for the man in the magnificent costume. Alice found herself quite surprised when she found herself to be the only person to stand her ground and not show fear. Even Doctor Labelle took a step back; although one glance at his eyes told Alice it was out of surprise, not fear. "Why so silent, good messieurs?" The Phantom drawled, cocking his head, examining the partygoers. "Did you _think _that I had left you for good? Have you missed me, good messieurs? I have written you an opera! Here, I bring the finished score…" He took out a black leather folder and threw it on the floor, of which some sheets slipped out of it.

"DON JUAN TRIUMPHANT!" He suddenly roared, drawing his sword. Alice knew it was entirely inappropriate and she could very possibly lose her head, but she felt like laughing at the ridiculousness of it all. "Fondest greetings…to you all. A few instructions before rehearsal starts…" Alice spotted Raoul reassuringly wrap an arm around Christine's waist before mouthing to Alice-_Take care of her now, please!_ He ran off and Alice silently made her way across the floor to be next to Christine as the Phantom went along insulting the prima donna, the tenor, and the managers.

"As for our star, Miss Christine Daae…" Alice tensed, anticipating the bite. "No doubt her voice is good, but she knows, should she wish to excel, she should return to me…her teacher…" His eyes drifted from Christine for a brief moment to gaze at Alice and the look in his eyes changed from 'frightening' to confusion to recognition to…was that horror in his eyes? Alice blinked and his stare was gone, so it didn't matter much. He beckoned Christine forward, the latter looking at Alice and gulping nervously before appeasing him and stepping up. Alice looked up and spotted Raoul buckling a sword to his waist and running to get back to the main room as Christine and the Phantom regarded one another.

In one swift movement, he tore the ring from her neck. "Your chains are still mine! You belong to me!" Alice suddenly found her feet free, and with this revelation sprinted up the stairs as fast as she could. She shoved Christine back and pushed the Phantom forward and away from Christine with all the force she could muster-much like how she had killed Bumby. The Phantom stumbled back, surprised, and suddenly the floor opened beneath him and he fell into a cloud of hellish red smoke. The crowd gasped as Raoul ran down the stairs and nodded at Alice in thanks.

Unfortunately, Alice interpreted his nod in the exact opposite way he wished her to, and as he jumped into the closing trapdoor, she followed.

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN! Cliffhanger! Anyway, a note on Alice and Dr. Labelle's masks-they're like the ones they have in the Venice Carnival, the ones that don't even have a hole for the mouth-a mouth is painted on. Next chapter, I assure you, will definitely be shorter and up sooner. Thanks so much for reading, as always, and please review!**


	5. She Crawls Into The Window

**A/N: Here we are! As promised, the up-sooner and shorter chapter. Yeah, the next few chapters are going to be around this length/a little bit longer, but expect the ninth chapter to be extremely long (as I've already written out most of it. Not While I'm Around does not belong to me (nor does anyone else but Alfonse). A thank you to Potolover08, AkatsukiMercy1515, and NayGoesMoo for reviewing/faving/following. Anyway, read on and enjoy!**

**RAOUL POV**

Raoul drew his sword the moment he hit the floor and looked around, ready to fight. However, he blinked at the sight before him-he was in a circular room of mirrors! A flash of black and white, and Alice was back-to-back with him, also landing on her feet. "Alice!" Raoul hissed in surprise as the Englishwoman's eyes darted around, catching each and every detail of the room. "What are you doing in here?" "You nodded, I followed." "Alice, that was a THANK YOU." She hushed him with a wave of her hand and surveyed the room keenly. "It's a mirror trap," Alice muttered. "I saw one of these when the circus came to London. There's usually one or two hallways that lead outside the room, but the trick is to feel along the mirrors…" Alice began circling the room touching the mirrors as Raoul followed her standing guard.

Suddenly, the Phantom appeared in the mirror, seeming to stride towards the two of them. Raoul swung his sword defensively around him and Alice while she felt more rapidly around the mirrors. Raoul continued to swing his sword in any direction the Phantom appeared to be coming from for a few minutes until he walked away and Alice exclaimed softly, "I've found it!" Raoul turned to her eagerly, but was scared out of his wits when a rope hit the top of his head. He let out a swear of surprise and Alice turned, losing the hallway in the process. Raoul swallowed in fear as he saw the noose and Alice began swearing while searching again for the hallway.

"Alice?" Raoul whispered to reassure himself he wasn't alone. No reply. "Alice!" he exclaimed. A hand fell upon his shoulder, and he whirled around, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw Madame Giry standing in front of him. Behind her, Alice stood, looking rather confused by the ordeal. Madame Giry said nothing, only led the two out of the room. The way to her office was uneventful, the only thing that happened was Alfonse running up to them to make sure they were alright and telling Alice his carriage would wait outside for her. "Madame Giry, wait!" Raoul cried. She raised a hand. "Please, Messieur, I know no more than anyone else!" "Lies!" Alice accused. "Mademoiselle Liddell, don't ask. There have been too many accidents?" _"Accidents?" _Alice repeated, in a tone dripping with sarcasm. "Please, Madame Giry," Raoul jumped in. "For all our sakes." She sighed and let them into her office. "Very well." She locked the door after them and lit a lamp on her desk as Raoul and Alice sat before it, expectant and curious. Madame Giry looked at a photo of her younger self on another table and began her tale- "It was years ago. There was a traveling fair in the city: gypsies. I was very young, studying to be a ballerina, one of many living in the dormitories of the opera house..."

Raoul listened on to her tale in horrified fascination of the little boy with the face so horrible that was treated so cruelly. Halfway through, he looked at Alice to see how she was taking it. Her mouth was held in a straight line and Raoul saw she was clutching onto her wrists tightly. Her fingers moved a small bit, and Raoul noticed with widened eyes that there were scars there-fading, but there. Was she thinking about her torture in the asylum? Had she tried to...Raoul pushed the thoughts from his mind and instead focused on the story being told.

Madame Giry finished her story, "I hid him from the world and its cruelties." She said as a few tears left her eyes, "He has known nothing else of life since then, except this opera house. It was his playground and now his artistic domain... He's a genius! He's an architect and designer, he's a composer and a magician... A genius, messieur." Raoul stared at her for a moment, absorbing everything for a moment. "Clearly, Madame Giry, genius has turned to madness." "No." Alice said simply, clutching onto her wrists for dear life. "He is not mad. A childhood in Rutledge Asylum teaches you what is mad. And besides, madness is a place. He is not mad." As those words left her mouth, a startling change took place. She grabbed at her heart, gasping, leaning forward, eyes wide, before collapsing on the floor. Instantly Madame Giry and Raoul knelt by her side. "N-no! Not that! Anything but that! Not-not the Bird!" Alice fell silent but continued to shake on the floor. "She's having a psychotic episode," Raoul said quietly to Madame Giry. He bade her goodnight as Alice sat up, and he helped his dear friend out the door.

"He won't keep his promise," Alice sighed sadly. "Well, he did warn me of that happening. He'll hurt you just the same…" "He won't hurt me, Alice, there's no need to fret." Even to Raoul those words sounded empty. There was nothing preventing the madman from hurting him. "Raoul, listen to me, please. You know there's nothing left of what happened before the fire but you. My rabbit doesn't count. You're all I've got left. I can't let him hurt you, I just can't!" Raoul blinked at her outburst. For a moment, the insomniac, street rat Alice appeared before him, but she was gone in an instant. He swallowed. He hated to admit it, he wouldn't admit it, no, no, couldn't admit it-

"I'm scared, Alice. He frightens me…" Damn, it was out. Instead of the reaction he was expecting (a snort or raised eyebrow), she instead gripped his hand tightly and began to recite a poem-

_Nothing's going to harm you_

_Not while I'm around_

_Nothing's going to harm you, no sir,_

_Not while I'm around_

_Demons are prowling everywhere_

_Nowadays_

_I'll send him howling_

_I don't care_

_I've got ways…_

_No one's going to hurt you, _

_No one's going to dare_

_Others will desert you, whistle, I'll be there_

_Demons may charm you_

_With a smile_

_For a while_

_But in time…_

_Nothing can harm you._

_Not while I'm around._

_Not to worry, not to worry!_

_I may not be the smartest, but I'm not dumb_

_I can do it, let me do it, show me something I can overcome_

_Not to worry…Raoul._

_Being close and being clever_

_It's not like being true_

_I don't need to_

_I will never _

_Let anyone lay a hand on you_

_Like some… _

Raoul was touched by her sentiment and her wish to protect me. Nobody had ever had a fierceness like that to make sure he was unscathed. But Alice was a pale, slender Englishwoman. How could she ever extract revenge on someone who tried to hurt him? He wasn't saying she was weak. She was the strongest person he'd ever known, but not in the physical sense. "Thank you, Alice," he said as they stepped outside. "You doubt me," she accused gently. "It's alright. I know I don't exactly look like the 'strong guardian angel' you might picture, but I promise you. Nothing will ever happen to you as long as I'm in this country. And I think you'd be surprised by how much I can do. Things that I've learned from the asylum, even from Bumby." "Yes, Alice." "You still don't think I can do it," she replied with a sigh. "What if I told you..." she looked around as they walked to Alfonse's carriage, "...doctors can also be _pushed _in front of trains?" It took Raoul a moment to understand what she was getting at. "You killed him," he said numbly. "You...you killed a man." She spread her hands. "He turned children into prostitutes, raped my sister and killed her and my family, and also tried to make me into a prostitute. He hurt those I cared about. And I fear no consequences for killing someone who tries to hurt the last person I do care for like I did my family."

Raoul was numb. Yes, Alice had good reasons for killing the doctor, but still, she had _killed. _She had rid another human being (although he was barely human) of his life. He wondered briefly what it felt like, being a killer. He knew naught what to think of his oldest friend now. Alice Pleasance Liddell, lunatic, orphan, killer. Two new feelings bloomed within him. They approached Alfonse's carriage, and just before Alice entered it, she recited once more to Raoul, just under her breath, so only he could hear-

_Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while,  
_

_But in time...  
_

_Nothing can harm you  
_

_Not while I'm around... _

As they drove away, and Raoul went off to find Christine, he realized what those feelings were.

One, fear.

A thin Englishwoman had managed to scare the Dickens out of him.

Two, thankfulness.

A thin Englishwoman who scared the Dickens out of him would kill for his safety uncaring of the consequences.

He had to admit, there was definitely some worthiness in that.

**A/N: Well, there we are. Hope you guys liked this chapter, despite the fact that it's really short...Anyway! I would love to see how you guys think this story is going. Thanks for reading, as always, and please review!**


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